Vol 29 No 22     01 Mar 2024

MUN Success

On 23 and 24 February, thirteen delegates and three teachers from The High School Model United Nations (MUN) Club attended the 2024 WCDMUN conference. We were representing the interests of Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, and over the two days debated a wide range of interesting topics, including international rights to education, the disposal of space waste, and the effects of war on the environment.  With more than 500 visiting pupils the conference welcomed delegations from schools across the island of Ireland, as well as schools from as far afield as Spain, The Netherlands, and Greece.  There was an excellent standard of debate throughout the conference from all parties, culminating in two commended delegate awards for Katie Millar (Environment and Ecology) and Jake O'Loughlin (Special Political and Decolonization).  The team also owes special thanks to our staff advisors, Ms Maher, Mr Whiteside, and Ms Rawle for guiding us through the conference and for organising our participation.  The conference was full of friendly faces and passionate debate, a feeling we hope to recapture with our own MUN Conference here at The High School later in the year!
Leo Shorten

Form 6 Careers Event

On 22 February The High School Careers Fair took place for pupils in Form 6, when past pupils returned to talk about their careers or colleges and post Leaving Certificate education institutes as well as a wide range of universities and colleges attended in The Reynolds Hall to answer questions from Form 6 pupils.
With talks on careers ranging from engineering to nursing, commerce to culinary, psychology to primary school teaching, and many more, there was something on offer for everyone. The past pupils were honest about their college and career experiences offering insight that we may not have been offered otherwise, which was very helpful for those trying to choose between different courses or unsure if they wish to go straight into college after this year.
There was also a range of colleges such as TCD, UCD, TUD, NCAD and many more. This was particularly helpful for trying to understand which college offers a learning style that best suits the prospective undergraduate, rather than learning which course requires the highest or lowest points. The Reynolds Hall was also buzzing with PLCs and apprenticeship programmes, which informed us about the other paths available after the Leaving Certificate.
Overall, the evening was extremely helpful for making decisions regarding CAO and what we decide to do after the Leaving Certificate.  The past pupils and third level education representatives were all very engaging, honest, and helpful answering questions I didn't even know I had!  Thanks to the Guidance Department for organising it: all who attended would agree it was extremely beneficial!
Katie Millar

Clothes Swap Shop

As part of our Leaving Certificate Politics and Society project, we organized a campaign that involved establishing a second-hand clothing swap shop at the school.  The event was incredibly successful, receiving positive feedback from pupils and teachers alike.  Clothes swaps are beneficial for the environment as they promote reusing items, reduce waste going to landfills, and help in decreasing the demand for new clothing production which has a significant environmental impact.  Additionally, clothes swapping encourages a more sustainable approach to fashion consumption by extending the lifespan of garments. 
Max Laverty, Millie Redmond, Erica Merriman, and Keira Ross

Junior A Hockey

The Junior As had two nail-biting quarter-finals this month against Wesley College and Holy Child Killiney.  The team started by facing a strong opponent in the Premier League quarter-final on a chilly Saturday morning.  They quickly took a 2-0 lead, but the opposition scored just before halftime.  Despite a strong start from their opponents in the second half, the team managed to defend well and handle the pressure, allowing them to create some attacking opportunities.  They scored an excellent third goal, hoping it would secure the win.  However, the opposition equalized to make it 3-3 in an exciting finish. The team won 5-4 in a 1v1 shootout, with Elisabetta Marzona delivering an outstanding performance in goal.  Three days later, The High School team faced Holy Child Killiney (HCK) in the second quarter-final of the Premier Cup.  Similar to the first game, they dominated the first half but couldn't convert their chances, leading to a scoreless first half.  HCK put pressure on them in the second half, but their resilience paid off until defending valiantly against an attacking short corner at the end of regulation time.  The game ended 0-0 and went into another 1v1 shootout where all four initial takers scored for their team against an Ireland U16 goalkeeper while their own keeper saved two HCK shots.  But The High School emerged victorious once again!  They are now set to play a League semi-final against Holy Child Killiney and a Cup semi-final against The Teresian School.
Ms Meeke

Form 2 Geography

Pupils in Form 2 were busy in Geography last week making Rain Gauges for their gardens.  We repurposed 1 litre water bottles and placed them securely in our gardens to calculate how much rain will fall in the next couple of weeks.

Form 1 Rugby Tour

Last Friday, pupils in Form 1 who play rugby had an exciting overnight trip to Belfast.  They played against Cooke RFC and cheered on their coach, Ava Ryder, during the Celtic Challenge play-off.  Ava Ryder and her team The Wolfhounds actually won the whole tournament so the girls got to see her lift the trophy!  The trip also provided a fantastic opportunity for team bonding as they shared stories around a campfire and explored the beautiful city together.

Junior Girls Rugby Dinner

The High School arranged a special celebratory dinner last month to recognize and appreciate the commitment of the 2023 Junior Cup Team team on winning the Leinster Schools Junior Cup. Parents, players, and coaches all gathered for this event. It was a chance for everyone to unite in a festive setting and commemorate their efforts and successes.

Student Council

We are busy working on some celebrations for International Women’s Day including a group of Diocesan alumni visiting the school and the annual walk at 6.00 pm on 8 March, to which everyone is welcome!
The ISSU’s An Chomhdháil Bhliantúil is coming up, in which elect people to represent us on a national level.  We are continuing to look into subsidizing sanitary products in the school.  This is one of the various issues that will be brought to management by year representatives at our next meeting this week.
If you have any issues please contact your class representative.  Remember that the Student Council represents your voice, so contact your representative regularly! The next council meeting will be held on 6 March
Ciara Morton

P.S.  If you have some information or news that you think we could feature in our school newsletter, please let us know.  Click here to get in touch.
Ms Burrowes 
Communications Coordinator